Kwara Customs command generates N3. 8bn, intercepts dugs, chemicals

The Nigeria Customs Service, Kwara Area Command, has generated over N3. 8bn in revenue in the first quarter of 2026 despite the continued closure of Nigeria’s border with the Republic of Benin. Acting Area Controller of the command, Deputy Comptroller Najeem Ogundeyi, this on Thursday during the third press briefing of the command held in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. Ogundeyi indicated the command realised total revenue of N3,895,333,182.

94 between January and March 2026, noting that the feat was achieved largely through excise duties and intensified anti-smuggling operations. based on him, the command has also recorded major successes in its crackdown on smuggling activities across several flashpoints within Kwara and neighbouring areas. He listed the affected routes to include Bukuro, Gurumi, Sikira, Okuta, Boriya, Tewu, Bero, Sango, Okeoyi, Alapa, Malete, Bani, Offa, Idofian, Eiyenkorin, as well as the Lagos-Ilorin Expressway.

“These areas have remained under close watch due to their strategic use by smugglers attempting illegal trade and smuggling of uncustomed goods both in and out of the country,” he indicated. The acting controller indicated that operatives of the command intercepted 155 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 70 pieces of second-hand tyres, 418 jerry cans of vegetable oil and 3,697 cartons of macaroni pasta during the operations. Other seized items included 5,925 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, 49.

5 kilograms of cannabis, 376 kilograms of tramadol, corrosive oxidiser chemicals and 18 bales of second-hand clothing. He indicated the total Duty Paid Value of the seized items stood at N204,763,439. Highlighting the significance of the seizures, Ogundeyi indicated that the operations reflected the determination of the service to protect the nation’s economy and curb illegal trade.